1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to friction welding, for example inertia welding, for example to a vibration damper for regulating component vibration during friction welding or inertia welding.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inertia welding is a process in which one component is rotated about an axis and brought in contact with a second component. Frictional forces between the components heat up the interface between the components sufficiently that the components melt and a weld is produced at the interface. Depending on the geometry of the components, the friction between the components can also induce vibrations in the components.
For example, when components of a product are inertia welded together, each component may be clamped at its respective rim to an inertia welding machine. One component is rotated about an axis of rotation and brought in to contact with the other component. As the components are inertia welded, the components may axially deflect with respect to the axis of rotation. This deflection causes inconsistent vibration(s).
Vibrations can cause the weld integrity to be unacceptable from dimensional loss in length and/or rate of loss in length outside of validated understanding.
US2010/0193572 discloses a free standing vibration damper which allegedly improves the welded seam qualities of the welded components. US2004/0108358 discloses a damper which allegedly reduces vibration in at least a portion of a component during inertia welding.
However, the present inventor has appreciated that the vibrations can vary significantly from weld to weld, even though the respective welds and the component portions used in the welds are ostensibly identical and are intended to result in ostensibly identical welded products. The variation in vibrations between the welds can result in unwanted variation in the quality of the resulting welded joint produced by the welds. Such variations may occur during the initial contact of the two parts being welded, for example during the period in which the interface is not molten, or is only partially molten. Therefore, the present inventor has appreciated that the variation in the vibrations experienced from weld to weld has a limiting effect on the reproducibility of welded products which are desired to be identical.